Electrical switch



Oct. 20l 1925. 1,558,277

- L. A. M. PHELAN ET AL ELECTRICAL SWITCH M W m71 d, f1 f Mgg/www m A Patented Oct.v 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS A. I. PHELAN AND CLIFFORD HOTCHKISS, OF BELOIT, WISCONSIN; SAID HOTCHXISS ASSIGNOR T0 SAID PHELAN.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

Application Med December 8, 1922. Serial No. 605,635.

To all whom it may conc-ern:

Be it known that we, LOUIS A. M. PHE-- LAN and CLIFFORD lIo'rCHKIss, residents of Beloit, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, respectively, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference .being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to electrical switches of the type having electrodes or contacting elements which are enclosed in a sealed coutainer and which are moved into and out of contact making position by a force external to this container.

More particularly our invention refers to a device of the above character wherein movable electrodes are disposed within an hermetically sealed glass container located in close proximity to a movable magnetized armature, the magnetic lines of force from which serve to operate the movable electrodes within the glass container.

An object of our invention is to produce woontac't deviceof the above character in which no appreciable deterioration of the contact parts will occur, and at the same time to provide a device which can be readily operated by the expenditure of a very small quantity of energy. y

Another object of our invention is to produce a device of the above character in which a liquid electrode such as mercury is used for one of the contact parts, and to provide an operating mechanism for such a device which does not necessitate tilting of the container, and which is not easily actuated accidently.

Another object of our invention is to provide a thermostatic temperature regulating device making use of the above type of electrical contactor.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the above character which is simple to constructand which will satisfactorily operate for long periods of time, even when sub'ected to serious mechanical abuse and wllen used to interru t avery large quantity of current at a su stantial vo tage.

Further ob'ects and advantages will appear upon re erence to the following specification and the accompanying drawing, in whlchz- Figure l 1s a front view of a form of our device wlth the cover removed;

Fig. 2 1s a sectlonal vlew taken on line .2--2 of Fig. 1, the cover also being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing in detail the contactor tube and the actuating armature when the device is in open circuit positlon;

Fig. 4 isa view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing the device in closed circuit pw sition;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken at line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

The device that comprises our invention consists in a general wa of a contactor tube or container 1 mounte adjacent a permanent magnet 2 of horseshoe form, and a rocking armature member 3 for operating the contactor elements in the tube 1. The armature 3 is operatively connected to. a spiral bi-metallic thermostatic element fl which serves to actuate the device upon a sufficient change in temperature of the surrounding medium. The parts are mounted upon an insulated base 5 provided with a cover 6. I

The contactor tube 1 is preferably evacuated and filled with a gas such as hydrogen which is inactivo toward the parts contained Within the tube even in the presence of heat.

The tube 1 is provided at one end of its underside with an extension chamber 6 filled with a body of conducting fiuid such as mercury 7. The mercury 7 is adapted to bridge a pair of electrodes comprising a fixed electrode S and a movable electrode 9. The electrode 9 is mounted upon a hinged armature member 10 which is hinged to a leading-in wire or support 11. The hinged member 10 is provided with two knuckles 12 and 13 which embrace the support 11 near its end; the hinged member is retained in position on the support 11 by a collar 14 placed between the knuckles 12 and 1.3 and tightly embracing the support 11, as shown.

yrest upon the tubular extension 17 The two separate knuckles 12 and 13 provide considerable less bearing surface upon the su port 11 than would the member 10 if ma e continuous withbut one knuckle at this point and thus unnecessary rictional losses are avoided. The leading-in wire or support 11, to ether with the fixed electrode 8 are mounte by being sealed in a glass shank 15 at the end of an inwardly directed extension 16 in the tube 1.

The electrode 8 and the support 11 are connected to the flexible lead wires 17 which serve to connect the device in an external circuit. The hinged member 1() is provided with a back stop 18 which is constructed t0 when the device is in open clrcuit position as in Fig. 3 and to contact with the wall of tube 1 when the device is in closed circuit position-as shown in Fig. 4.

The armature 3 is pivoted above the tube 1 at a point opposite the hinged armature member 10 upon a shaft 19 mounted on the base 5. A pin 20 at the end of shaft 19 serves to retain the armature 3 upon the shaft. An end 21 of the armature 3 is made with a reduced cross-section in order to concentrate the magnetic lines of force emanating therefrom. Stops 22 and 23 are mounted upon base 5,'in the position shown, to properly limit the rocking movement of the armature 3. The armature 3 is further provided with an operating lever 24 which is engaged by an eyelet 25 formed at the end of a rod 26 which in turn is mounted upon and operated by the thermostatic element 4. The rod 26 is fixed to the thermostatic element 4 by inserting a bent portion of'its end in an opening at 27 in the element 4 and by means of a threaded rod and nut at 28.

The magnetic circuit of the device is through the upper arm of permanent ,mag-

'net 2, through the air-gap from magnet 2 to armature 3, through another air-gap to the hinged armature 10 within tube 1 and through a third vair-gap to the lower arm of vmagnet 2. The flux of this circuit is Sullicient to cause the hinged armature 10 within the 4tube 1, to closely follow any movements of the armature 3. at the exterior of tube 1.

The thermostatic element 4 is mounted at its inner end to a post 29 which in turn is rotatably mounted on the base Amember 5.

The shape of the spiral thermostatic element 4 may be ad'usted by a Screw 30 which extends throug the inner coil 4 of the spiral element and into the post 29. B turning the screw 30 inwardly, the spira 4thermostatic element may be compressed and by turning the screw 30 outwardly, the spiral element will be permitted to expand sllghtly. Anopening 31 is provided in the outer turn of the spiral element in order to pei'- mit access by means of a screw-driver to the screw 30.

The angular position of post 29 may be adjusted by means of a link 32 ixedzthereto and b an attached mechanism about to be descri ed. A pin 33 `is fixed in theend of the link 32 andis retained between clamping members 34 and 35, which are held in clamping relation with the pin 33 by means of a screw 36. A pin 37 mounted in a fixed post 38 is also 'retained between the clamping members 34 and 35. The clamping member may be extended to form an operating lever 39, whichterminates in a handle 40 extending to the exterior of the casing 6. In order to adjust the thermostatic element 4 to operate the contactor when a desired temperature occurs, the spiral element is first roughly adjusted by means of the screw 30`so that the armature 3 will freely rest at some point between the pegs 22 and 23. The device can then be ve accurately regulated by movement of therliandle 40, which will result in-a slight turnin .of the post 29 -and the spiral thermostatic e ement 4. about their common axis.

The magnet 2 may be retained on the base 5 by clamping members 41, 42 and 43,y

which are retained in position b screws 44. The clamping member 41 may extended also to serve to clamp the tube 1 in position. A clamp 45 also serves to further retain the tube 1. A strip of felt 46 may be used to cushion the tube 1 from the magnet 2.

The leading-in wires 17 to the tube 1 ma be extended to suitable binding posts auch as 47, located upon the base 5. The base 5 may be 4-formed with suitable openings 48 and '49 providing for attaching screws enabling the device to be mounted upon a wall.

The cover 6 may be attached to base 5 as by screws 50. The cover Gis preferably pro vided with openings 51, which rmit free circulation o the air around e thermostatic element 4. A thermometer 52 may be mounted upon the device to serve as a guide in adjusting the lever 40.

The device when used may be mounted upon a vertical wall of the room -or compartment, the temperature of which is to be regulated. The binding posts 47 may be connected in series with any suitable and usual type of electrical circuit used for the control of heating .a paratus. It may be assumed that when t e circuit through the tube 1 is open that the heating equipment will not be in operation but that upon closing the circuit through tube 1 the heating equipment will begin to operate. Therefore at a time when the room temperature is at a satisfactory point, the'lever 40 should be adjusted so that the contacts in the tube 1 will just be in open circuit position. Then when a sufficient drop in temperature occurs the thermostatic element 4 will turn the armature 3 which will be followed in its perature is'reached the parts will go through reverse movements to again open the circuit through the tube 1 and' thus stop the operation of the heating equipment.

We desire that our invention be broadly interpreted and limited only by the prior art and by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what 'we cla-im as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States, is:

l'. AnA electrical contacter comprisingl a hermetically sealed container, an integral inwardly directed extension to said container, a magnetic armature pivotally mounted on said extension, and a contact mounted on said amature.

2.' An electrical contactor comprising a hermetically sealed container, an integral inwardly directed extension to said container, a stationary electrode and a magnetically operated movable electrode supported by said extension. I

3. An electrical contactor comprising a hermetically sealed container, an integral inwardly directed extension to said container,

Y a stationary electrode and a magnetically op# erated movable electrode supported by said extension, and leading-in wires to said electrodes introduced into through said extension.

4. An electrical switch comprising a permanently magnetized member, a contactor tube having at least one of its electrodes in terposed between the poles of said magnetized member, said` contactor having a movable electrode and a magnetizable member contained therein, a. rocking armature located in proximity to said magnetized member and said movable electrode, and a thermostatic element to actuate said rocking armature Whereby said movable electrode opens and closes the electrical circuit through said contacter tube.

5. An electrical switch comprising a magnetizable member, a contactor tube interposed intermediate the poles thereof, said, contactor tube comprising a movable electrode, a. rocking magneti'zable element interposed intermediate the poles and said magnetizable member, and means for actuating said rocking magnetizable element in order' to influence -the movable electrode of said contactor.

In Witness whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names.`

' LOUIS A. M. PHELAN.

CLIFFORD HOTCHKISS.

said v container 

